Episode Plot

During the night, the heroes and their Pokémon are sleeping in a house. Rockruff, however, decides to leave while the others are sleeping, recalling how it hurt Rowlet during the battle. Rockruff leaves the couch and jumps to grab the door handle. Pikachu wakes Ash up, who is dazed a bit. Pikachu points at the couch, and Ash realizes Rockruff has disappeared. Rockruff is training, by using Rock Throw and dodge the rubble, looks at this and uses its power, shattering the rubble. It smiles upon Rockruff, who is taken aback by it. Tapu Lele emits a purplish glow around the area, so Rockruff goes on offensive and attacks it. Tapu Lele dodges and hits Rockruff, who makes another attack, but Tapu Lele protects itself and retaliates, blowing Rockruff away. Tapu Lele continues hitting Rockruff. Suddenly, Ash calls for Rockruff, and hearing his voice, Tapu Lele flies off. Ash finds Rockruff hurt, and rushes to it. However, Rockruff tries to find its opponent, seeing it is gone. Ash states Rockruff has to be taken to the Pokémon Center to see Nurse Joy.

Suddenly, Ash and Pikachu see a glittering shine, while Rockruff tries to wander off. Ash runs up to it, to stop it from leaving; Rockruff runs into Ash, running him over, and starts biting on his arm. However, it reminds itself of its opposition to Rowlet during the Grand Trial, and wanders off through the bushes. Ash and Pikachu go after it as well. The next day, in Paniola Town, everyone else there is wondering where Ash and Pikachu went. Ash and Pikachu then arrive seeming tired and confused, making Kukui scold them for leaving in the middle of the night without telling anyone. Ash apologizes, explaining the situation about Rockruff wandering off. Ash suspects this has something to do with Rockruff evolving. Olivia confirms this, stating her Lycanroc also left in the middle of the night and returned back evolved. Ash, however, points out his Rockruff was wounded. This makes everyone to search for Rockruff, and Ash thanks them for the help. While nobody is looking, Olivia's Midday Lycanroc disappears.

Rockruff is on a narrow mountain trail and howls. A Midnight Lycanroc hears the howl. Gladion lets his Lycanroc investigate the issue, asking of it to return until midnight. Gladion and Umbreon go inside the cave and Gladion sends out what appears to be a new Pokémon of his. However, due to the strain of the helmet, the Pokémon starts acting restless. Gladion runs over to comfort it and tells it that everything will be fine; since it is daylight outside, Gladion states it would be a problem if someone had seen it, and expresses his desire to take its helmet off. Elsewhere, Rockruff is navigating a steep cliff, when a Fearow suddenly appears and scares it, causing Rockruff to fall off the cliff face. The heroes are still on the search for it, however. Rockruff has landed somewhere near the waterfalls. Both Olivia and Gladion's Lycanroc find Rockruff; the two growl at each other, before Gladion's Lycanroc carries Rockruff, with Olivia's Lycanroc following it.

Tapu Lele, near the Ruins of Life, is found healing a Yungoos, who is glad its wounds have been healed. Shortly after, the two Lycanroc appear as well. Gladion's Lycanroc asks Tapu Lele to heal it, but the guardian simply pushes it away. Olivia's Lycanroc does the same, but fails to do anything. Tapu Lele then looks at Rockruff and realizes that it encountered it last night, and spreads healing glitter over it; however, it does not have any effect, and it becomes enraged as a result. Olivia's Lycanroc blocks the incoming blow from the guardian. Ash, Olivia and Kukui continue searching. Olivia asks Ash if he knows where Rockruff likes to hang out. Suddenly, they find the Yungoos that was healed by Tapu Lele, who spreads glittering shine that Ash has remembered from the previous night. Ash is certain Rockruff went after Tapu Lele, which worries Olivia. Olivia explains while Tapu Lele has the power to heal Pokémon, it also has the power to drain such power. She explains that deity can "play" during a battle, and can even leave a Pokémon dying, by leaving some of its power. Ash's eyes widen, as the group goes to the Ruins of Life.

After Ash, Pikachu, Litten, Olivia, and Professor Kukui climb up the cliff, they find the two Lycanroc, Ash's Rockruff, and Tapu Lele. Rockruff is in the same injured state it was before, and Ash tries to defend it from Tapu Lele. Ash bows down to protect Rockruff, while Tapu Lele uses Draining Kiss on both of the Lycanroc and Ash. Olivia stops others, as Tapu Lele shares its energy to heal Rockruff. Rockruff wakes up, and sees Ash unconscious. It licks him to wake him. As both Lycanroc regain consciousness, Tapu Lele flies in the sky, and Rockruff walks up to it. Rockruff and others watch the dusk, and the sun flashes green color. Rockruff and both Lycanroc then howl, and Ash's Rockruff begins to evolve. It evolves into an orange Lycanroc with green eyes. Ash is amazed by this, while Tapu Lele leaves the area. Rotom does not identify this form, as it has no data on it. Ash and his other Pokémon hug Lycanroc, while Olivia and Professor Kukui walk up to it. Kukui thinks the green light helped Rockruff evolve, which is a rare phenomenon. Olivia starts crying, as she never saw one of these pretty-looking Lycanroc before. Kukui explains that this is the Dusk form of Lycanroc.

The next day, the heroes and Pokémon go on a ship from Akala Island. The others admire Ash's Lycanroc, amazed by how it was just a small Rockruff yesterday. Rotom takes pictures of the Dusk Form Lycanroc, stating it will update the info about such new Pokémon. Kukui states that despite how much they know about Pokémon, there are still many mysteries they have yet to see. Olivia adds children are a mystery, too, since they can grow much faster than they think. The group sees how far they are from Akala Island; Olivia promises to take them if they give her a call. Ash approaches Lycanroc, urging it to return one day to the island, where it evolved.

Debuts

Pokémon

Move

Trivia

The Poké Question for this episode is hosted by Professor Kukui who asks who is the evolving Pokémon in this episode. The answers are Popplio (blue), Litten (red), Rockruff (green), and Rowlet (yellow). The correct answer is Rockruff, the green answer.